No such thing as green cars
By now, it should be obvious that private automobiles are environmentally unsustainable. Yet many people still cling to the fantasy of “Green Cars”. Such people tend to focus only on alternative fuels and the emissions that come out of a car’s tail pipe. They ignore the fact that half the greenhouse gas and pollution a car will emit during its lifetime is created in its manufacture and disposal …and in the manufacture and maintenance of the roads on which it travels. The plastics in a car’s body, interior and tires, the steel in its frame, the lubricants it uses, and the asphalt and concrete it drives on all require petroleum to manufacture and maintain. Andy Singer on CarfreeNetwork
1 comments:
This is a good reminder that we're a long way from a sustainable car. I do think in theory it's possible that cars (and buses, and trains, etc) could eventually be made with renewable energy, and materials recycled in a closed loop. For now, I agree that the best option for the environment is to stay car-free, if possible.